A record label invents another way to squeeze money from its music catalog.According to NPR, National Public Radio, "The most popular guitar teacher on YouTube saw his more than 100 videos yanked from the site" after a a record label accused him of copyright infringement for showing viewers how to play a Rolling Stone song. This story is surprising even for the music industry who never ceases to come up with new and creative ways to define copyright infringement and to create new sources of potential revenue. The effort to make radio broadcasters now pay royalties to artists and labels in addition to composers and publishers comes to mind. Now I'm sure even the Rolling Stones would be stunned to hear that a record label had resorted to such blatantly offensive means to "protect" its intellectual property but, even more surprising is the consistent lack of any sort of moral compass or consideration for the public good. Is a simple guitar teaching session really so great of a thorn in their side that they risk even greater damage to their reputation? Oh wait, I forgot that there's not much left, and if there was it's gone now.
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I think that a judge would probably give that teacher a victory in court. He broke no laws that I am aware of....unless now they are going to try to tell me that it is ilegal to use a copyrighted SONG just to teach guitar to someone.
I still do not think that would go over very well in court.
Like I said, he could probably win this in court.
Years ago, this never would have happened, but they are getting WAY too cocky now....it is time someone took them down a notch or two!
That is why I hope that the people who countersue the RIAA for extortion actually win, because legally it could turn the tide against the RIAA.
The only thing good I could see comming out of that, is it would FORCE bands to write their own material and not copy everyone else. I think there is too much of that going on right now...which is why the music industry is in need of talent.
But if they start to enforce THIS kind of stupidity....they may see their talent pool shrink even smaller than where it is now!
I know, it would seem that they are arguing that a lesson is a public performance. Its such a terrible argument that if proven to be within the law, means that true copyright reform really is necessary.
After all, budding guitarists might eventually be a record company's biggest selling artist in the future.
All they care about is the clamp-down with no vision for the future... A bunch of A-holes is what they are.